Eliana Rubashkyn

Eliana Rubashkyn
Rubashkyn presenting in 2020 in Voices4Vape
Born (1988-06-25) 25 June 1988 (age 36)
Bogotá, Colombia
Other namesEliana Golberstein,[1][2] Eliana Galberstein[3]
CitizenshipColombia, New Zealand
Occupation(s)Pharmacist, chemist, human rights advocate

Eliana Rubashkyn (born 25 June 1988) is a Colombian pharmacist and chemist,[4] known for being the first intersex person assigned male at birth legally recognised as a woman with a United Nations mechanism under the international refugee statute. Born in Colombia, Rubashkyn was formerly stateless. [5] She[a] currently works as a programme officer at ILGA world,[6] and as a harm reduction scientist developing human right campaigns of support addressed to LGBTI asylum seekers, refugees and intersex persons around the world.[7]

Rubashkyn's gender was recognised under the United Nations' 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees.[8] Rubashkyn's case attracted international media and legal attention after her mistreatment following her detention at Hong Kong International Airport because of the incongruence between her gender identity and her passport photo, resulting in several years of statelessness in Hong Kong,[clarification needed] and inhumane reclusion into several refuge centers across Yuen Long.[9][10][11]

Rubashkyn moved to New Zealand as a refugee in 2014, and was granted New Zealand citizenship in 2018.[12] In 2023, Rubashkyn was charged with two counts of assault for throwing tomato juice on anti-trans activists Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull and Tania Suzanne Sturt at a counter-protest to Keen-Minshull's speaking tour.[13] In September 2024, Rubashkyn was convicted and discharged for the assaults, serving no time.[1]

  1. ^ a b Williams, Caroline (3 September 2024). "Trans rights activist convicted and discharged after dumping tomato juice on Posie Parker". www.stuff.co.nz. Archived from the original on 5 September 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  2. ^ "Intersex people on the importance of being understood, possible inclusion in upcoming census". Newshub. Archived from the original on 1 April 2023. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference :6 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "'I'm sorry': Moment murder accused admitted Grace was dead". Otago Daily Times Online News. 14 November 2019. Archived from the original on 1 April 2023. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  5. ^ McGee, Thomas (2020). "Rainbow statelessness - between sexual citizenship and legal theory: Exploring the statelessness-LGBTIQ+ nexus". Statelessness & Citizenship Review. 2(1) (2): 64–85. Archived from the original on 5 September 2024. Retrieved 3 May 2024 – via Informit.
  6. ^ "Ælien Rubashkyn - ILGA World". Archived from the original on 7 September 2021. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  7. ^ "ITANZ - Intersex Awareness New Zealand 2019 - Board Members". Archived from the original on 11 September 2019. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  8. ^ Human Rights Campaign 2014. "Hong Kong recognized Trans woman without Sex reassignment Surgery". Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 3 February 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ "Misunderstood and stateless in Hong Kong: A transgender woman's nightmare". CNN International. 5 September 2014. Archived from the original on 17 May 2019. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
  10. ^ "Transgender Refugee goes through hell in Hong Kong". UNHCR. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
  11. ^ "Hong Kong is 'hell' Transgender postgrad student-turned-refugee struggles to be recognised as a woman". gaystarnews.com. 5 April 2014. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  12. ^ "Transgender refugee says NZ paradise". NZ Herald. 3 May 2014. Archived from the original on 1 April 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  13. ^ "Posie Parker assault case: Tomato juice protester Eliana Golberstein pleads guilty". NZ Herald. 7 June 2024. Archived from the original on 5 September 2024. Retrieved 14 June 2024.


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